"We figured out a surefire way around the First Amendment"

The Institute for Justice filed a major free speech suit today challenging a Florida campaign finance law that requires grassroots activists to wade through a maze of red tape in order to exercise their First Amendment rights. As IJ explains:

Under Florida law, any time two or more people join together to advocate the passage or defeat of a ballot issue, and spend more than $500, they become a fully regulated political committee.   

As a result, before they can even publish an ad, the group would have to register with the state and comply with a host of regulations the Florida Secretary of State admits are "complex," and the U.S. Supreme Court recently called "burdensome" and "expensive" even for corporations and unions.  This includes appointing a treasurer, opening up a separate bank account, and tracking and reporting every single penny that goes through the organization.  

And for a humorous illustration of the trouble with campaign finance laws, check out this IJ video: